Goblin Quest

1

Surprisingly good. It doesn't quite rise to the level of Don Quixote in skewering it's target, but it definitely looks at fantasy adventuring in a different light.

Meet Jig. He's a goblin runt. He's about to have a REALLY bad day. As if muck duty weren't enough, his pet fire spider has burned off all his hair and the bullying captain Porak has sent him ahead on patrol while the rest of the goblin guard gambles. Things might have turned out ok if only Jig hadn't run into that group of adventurers... Meet the adventurers. Prince Barius is the warrior, his brother Rysland is the magician. They've got a dwarf too, Darnak, who keeps them from killing each other. And don't forget the elven thief crouching over there in the corner. They're about to kill Porak's goblin patrol because, well, goblins are evil and that's what adventurers do, right? They're looking for the Rod of Creation and no monster, not even the ‘rightful' owner of the rod will stand in their way. And Jig? Jig's about to become their guide. If only he knew where the Rod of Creation was... Taken from the goblin's rather unique perspective, this well plotted quest has you questioning your beliefs about heroes and the honour that they kill by.

I was some 200 plus pages through some other trashy fantasy epic when the boredom factor hit my threshold. And I was in the mood for some other different fantasy story, something light, and this looked like fun.... A story about a puny, blue-skinned goblin named Jig with bad eyesight who finds himself pressed into service as a guide underneath the mountain where he lives. His captors are a vain prince, his half-mad wizard brother, a surly dwarf, and a thieving elf girl. And it's got a sense of humor. Jig and his pet fire-spider, Smudge, endure some dungeon-delving escapades with wit and style. (It was mentioned that one character would lose a battle of wits with his shadow.) I enjoyed this tale. Someday, I'll get around to Jig's next adventure, Goblin Hero.